


The First (Dating) Proposal

by PTwritesmore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice Fusion, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, POV Hermione Granger, Pride and Prejudice References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28741422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PTwritesmore/pseuds/PTwritesmore
Summary: Draco Malfoy professes his love for an unsuspecting Hermione Granger, who quickly and savagely turns him down. A Dramione Pride and Prejudice one shot based on my favorite scenes- Mr. Darcy's disastrous first proposal. This one shot inspired me to write a full fic called Pride, Prejudice, and a Bit of Magic, if you'd rather read a full adaptation!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 19
Kudos: 54





	The First (Dating) Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired today by a beautiful piece of art by Jaxx-in-a-box and Jane Austen, of course. I don't know if I can post the art here, but here is the link if you'd like to see it: https://jaxx-in-a-box.tumblr.com/post/640194574966571008/i-love-you-most-ardently-thank-you-to 
> 
> Highly recommend following them on Tumblr/Insta for your Dramione art needs :)
> 
> Edited 1/14: I just started a full Pride and Prejudice adaptation called Pride, Prejudice, and a Bit of Magic. On my page if you'd like to start reading (this one shot will be incorporated).

Hermione wandlessly lit the fire before settling into the lumpy loveseat in the Grimmauld library, thankful for a bit of quiet as the night wore on. Eager to escape the swirling thoughts of Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini leaving the country on their research trip, Hermione had pulled out her favorite novel and cuddled Crookshanks close. However, every few pages, she found her mind returned to an especially annoying blonde git. A sharp knock on the door rang out, pulling Hermione from her thoughts. Her heart fluttered at the thought of her fellow Unspeakable, Blaise, waiting outside Grimmauld. A few weeks ago, he’d shown up to discuss a case they were working on over takeaway and since then, she’d been secretly hoping he’d be back in a less official capacity. That excitement drained immediately upon seeing Darco Malfoy standing stiffly on the front stoop. 

“Malfoy,” she greeted coldly, wishing she hadn’t changed into her sweatpants. 

“Granger,” he sniffed, his tall form looming over her. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you. Do come in.” Ice buried the civility of her words. As much as she wanted to shoo him away, her distaste for the returned schoolyard bully did not outweigh her curiosity at his late night visit. 

He walked in, but was apparently too anxious to take a seat, instead pacing around the cozy room and looking at the books that lined the walls of the Grimmauld library. Hermione was surprised; she’d never seen the wizard so agitated, so uncomfortable in his own skin. She took a seat in one of the armchairs by the fire and watched him without a word, wondering where he’d come from dressed in such formal dark robes. After a few minutes of stifling silence, he turned towards her with intensity in his steel eyes. 

“I have been dealing with feelings that I cannot suppress no matter how hard I try. It is absolute torture to carry them around all day, unspoken. It is nearly as bad as the Cruciatus, only this seems never ending. I can’t bear it anymore,” he began before taking a breath. “I admire you, which I am certain you know by now.”

“Admire me?” Hermione scoffed. She knew Malfoy hated her because he’d made it clear with every interaction since they met at Hogwarts.

“Yes,” he replied simply, unaffected by her reaction. “But I came here to tell you that I love you. Most ardently.” Hermione stared at him, gaping silently as she turned his words over in her mind. She felt paralyzed in her spot, unable to react to the absurdity of his statement, like she was in second year again and the snake in front of her was somehow a Basilisk staring at her through a mirror. 

Unfortunately, Malfoy took her silence as approval, encouragement even, of this insane sentiment. Unwillingly she wordlessly spurred the usually withdrawn and sullen wizard to keep spewing nonsense as he paced about the room. “I’ve fought these feelings, because of my better judgement, my family’s expectations, and the obvious barriers that stand in our way. But you’ve always been impossible to beat, Granger, regardless of the situation. I’m willing to put all those reasons aside.” He paused for a moment, his feet finally planted behind the armchair and his lips tugged upwards just slightly as he looked at her. It was so unlike the sneers and smirks he usually shot her way that he looked like almost a different person. But in front of her stood a man she hated deeply, who hated her far more, and he was professing his alleged love for her. Hermione struggled to wrap her mind around the situation, which seemed more like a far fetched nightmare than reality. “I love you. Be mine?” While his body language was tense, the familiar prideful smirk on his face as he finished his tirade told her that he had no doubt that she’d fall into his arms. She scoffed outwardly at the thought of it, wiping away his proud look and replacing it with confusion. 

“I believe I’m meant to thank you for your  _ inability _ to overcome these tortuous feelings regardless of the...obvious barriers, as you call them,” she said with hostility. “But I suppose all I can do is apologize for paining you in such a way as I have no intention of belonging to anyone, but especially not you.”

Malfoy’s eyes searched her face as she spoke, becoming more closed off with each word. He gripped the top of the opposite armchair, his knuckles whitening, and rolled his jaw. Hermione suddenly saw the angry little boy she once knew. But he didn’t speak; that was the difference between the boy she knew and the man in front of her. He was not impulsive anymore, which Hermione recognized as making him more dangerous. Instead, he let a cold silence fill the gap between them, making the distance seem even wider, until he could compose himself. Hermione wondered if he was an occlumens from the distant look that appeared in his eye before he was able to speak calmly. 

"I see. Perhaps you’d be willing to share with me why, Granger?” He practically spat her name. “Should you deem it important enough, of course.” 

“Well I could ask you why you felt the need to share that you like me despite your better judgement? That you admire me against everything; that having such feelings for me is torture!” Hermione’s volume was rising, but she didn’t care. “You may have said you reject the blood status nonsense, but how could I possibly believe that now, as if that isn’t a factor in what makes me so unacceptable to you?” She was standing now as she yelled at him. Draco’s lips had twisted into a deep frown. “And maybe, even if I did believe you, how could I forgive you, let alone consider you, after you ruined things for Luna?”

Despite his best efforts, Malfoy flushed pink. For a moment Hermione admired the color splayed on his cheeks, a rarity dancing across his pale features. But she pushed those thoughts away and continued, "You know as well as I do that you’ve only ever given me reasons to hate you. Don’t you?" She paused, waiting for remorse or some sort of apology. Instead, he gave her nothing, putting on a blank face once again. "Don’t you?" she repeated more forcefully, irritated that he wouldn’t answer. That smirk returned to his face, though it was more malicious now. 

"If you’re speaking of Nott, then you’re right,” Malfoy said sharply. “I did everything I could to keep him from courting Luna and I am thankful I was successful. He’s my brother. It was for his own good.”

“I suspect it has something to do with being a blood trai-”

“No!” Malfoy exclaimed. “No, he clearly was more interested in her than she was in him. Theo deserves happiness after everything he’s been through. I won’t let him get hurt.”

"That’s not all -”

“I thought you’d forgiven me,” he said lowly, his tone accusatory. “You told me at the trial and again last year. You forgave me for the horrible things I did. Were you lying? Was I just a fool thinking you could ever forgive a Death Eater?” He choked out the last two words, looking pained.

"I can forgive each slur, each hex, each insult when we were children. I can forgive you taking the Mark, for doing their bidding. I can forgive you for that day at Malfoy Manor. You know I already have. No, what I was going to mention was how you handled things with Pansy Parkinson.” Draco’s pale brows furrowed at the name. “We’ve grown quite close, you know. She let me know about your temper, your abuse. How could you even defend that kind of behavior?"

"I’m surprised you would take a former bully’s words to heart in such a way," Malfoy replied through his teeth, his composure beginning to drop. 

"Anyone who hears what she’s been through would take her words to heart.”

"What she has been through!" Malfoy seethed, now losing the battle with his composure. “Oh, yes, what horrors she’s endured because of me.” The sarcasm dripped from his words, contempt flooding his features.

“You stole the best years of her life from her! You dragged her through the mud with you! Yet, you seem to have no regret."

"So this," snapped Malfoy as he closed the distance between them in three quick steps, the two of them facing off in front of the roaring fire, "is what you think of me! Even now, after all this time, after we’ve been reacquitanced. How can you overlook our school years, the war, my greatest regrets, yet look at me with this disdain because of Pansy bloody Parkinson?” He was shouting now, pure rage written on his face. “Thank you, truly. Thank you for cataloging my faults in such a way. But perhaps," his volume dropped to a bitter whisper as he backed away and looked into the fireplace, "these aren’t really the faults you care about. I suspect if I fell over myself for the Golden Girl at Nott’s ball, just as everyone else has done, continues to do, you’d find me far more to your liking. I stand by what I said - without the etiquette training that purebloods receive, the connections we foster from birth, the funds at our disposal, you’re at a disadvantage and will continue to be on the outside fighting your way in for all your bleeding heart endeavors. To say nothing of the outdated opinions on blood status you are now so sure I still hold. Do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you dress like an adolescent muggle boy or listen to your ideas when you don’t know even the most basic manners?” Anger rose in Hermione’s chest as his mocking tone. 

“The only impact your comments from that night have had is to spare me any guilt I may have felt right now. There was nothing you could have said tonight that would have made me interested in accepting anything from you, let alone interested in dating,” Hermione huffed, incredulous. Malfoy was glaring at her as she spoke. “You’ve been an arrogant prick since you were eleven, Malfoy. You continue to be the most self-important, rudest man I’ve ever known. You are quite literally the last man in the world I’d date, your own despicable father included,” she added, trying to think of the most hurtful thing she could say. She found it worked, the pain on his face confirming that comparing him Lucius was probably a step too far in illustrating how much she detested him. 

“That’s enough!” Draco shouted before slamming his eyes shut and taking a deep breath. After a moment, he looked at her indifferently, distaste clear on his haughty features. “You’ve made your feelings extremely clear. Forgive me for interrupting what was obviously a busy evening,” he said sarcastically as he looked at the stack of books by the couch. “Goodnight.”

The blond hastily retreated, the front door slamming shut. Hermione sank into what had been a comfortable spot only half an hour before, but alone with her thoughts she found no feeling other than shock. She wanted to shake it off and return to her book, unaffected by his confession of supposed love. Instead, she continued to replay their discussion in her mind for hours, staring into the fire as the moon rose higher outside. 

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think of the scene? Would you want to read more?  
> Edited 1/14: Okay, more to come: check out the full adaptation on my page called Pride, Prejudice, and a Bit of Magic!


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